The Miracle of Dunkirk

By Walter Lord

Description

The true story of the World War II evacuation portrayed in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk, by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Day of Infamy.

In May 1940, the remnants of the French and British armies, broken by Hitler’s blitzkrieg, retreated to Dunkirk. Hemmed in by overwhelming Nazi strength, the 338,000 men gathered on the beach were all that stood between Hitler and Western Europe. Crush them, and the path to Paris and London was clear.

Unable to retreat any farther, the Allied soldiers set up defense positions and prayed for deliverance. Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered an evacuation on May 26, expecting to save no more than a handful of his men. But Britain would not let its soldiers down. Hundreds of fishing boats, pleasure yachts, and commercial vessels streamed into the Channel to back up the Royal Navy, and in a week nearly the entire army was ferried safely back to England.

Based on interviews with hundreds of survivors and told by “a master narrator,” The Miracle of Dunkirk is a striking history of a week when the outcome of World War II hung in the balance (Arthur Schlesinger Jr.).

“Stirring . . . The difference between the Lord technique and that of any number of academic historians is the originality of his reportage.” —The New York Times

“Amazing and unexpected heroism . . . Well worth reading.” —Milwaukee Sentinel Walter Lord (1917–2002) was an acclaimed and bestselling author of literary nonfiction best known for his gripping and meticulously researched accounts of watershed historical events. Born in Baltimore, Lord went to work for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. After the war’s end, Lord joined a New York advertising firm, and began writing nonfiction in his spare time. His first book was The Fremantle Diary (1954), a volume of Civil War diaries that became a surprising success. But it was Lord’s next book, A Night to Remember (1955), that made him famous. The bestseller caused a new flurry of interest in the Titanic and inspired the 1958 film of the same name. Lord went on to use the book’s interview-heavy format as a template for most of his following works, which included detailed reconstructions of the Pearl Harbor attack in Day of Infamy (1957), the battle of Midway in Incredible Victory (1967), and the integration of the University of Mississippi in The Past That Would Not Die (1965). In all, he published a dozen books.

Reviews

Spell binding book

5

By Janshomet

After seeing the movie "Dunkirk" I wanted to find out more about this event. I picked this book and couldn't put it down. Lord did an amazing job of putting you right in the middle of the miracle of Dunkirk. This book is a must read. My ancestry is British and I cried as thousands of civilian boats sailed to get their boys back home. Wonderfully told story about an amazing miracle.

Trahssur

5

By SsurTrah

Gripping from the beginning. Story moves along at a steady pace with plenty of drama. Proves history can be more interesting than fiction if written right. Does not overwhelm with military lingo and tactics but you still come away with a strong knowledge of this great historical episode. Also read Mr. Lord's book 'Day Of Infamy' which is written in same style and also a good read.